morning

If you've always thought of yourself as a "morning person," well, you may not be too far off the mark. Turns out, science is on your side. According to experts who study circadian rhythms, most people are effective at accomplishing (or getting through) certain tasks at specific times of day—like, late afternoon is a great time for dental work because pain thresholds are higher between 3 and 4 P.M.; and hitting the sack around 10 or 11 P.M. works for most people because that's when your body naturally starts to wind down. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule when humans are involved—and, depending on your job, your schedule, your life, things are bound to skew. One bit of advice from experts at the Body Rhythms Center at the University of Wales is a good one to file away—especially when you've got a lot on your plate. If you have a tough task to tackle, the best time to do it is between 8 and 9 A.M. "It's when levels of the stress hormone cortisol are highest," Professor Simon Folkard tells the Daily Mail. "And this change increases your blood-sugar level, giving you the energy and momentum to read more

These days, I don't do much to get ready in the morning since I work from home. But back when I went to an office, I used to get up at 6:50 in order to make sure I could leave my apartment by 8:00. The length of my morning routine then: An hour and 10 minutes. read more